Managing Layers

The Layers panel on the left lists every layer in the project, from the topmost drawing layer down to the basemap. Selecting a layer here drives the Style panel and the Attribute table.

Layer order and visibility

• Visibility: click the eye button to show or hide a layer. The Hide all layers button at the top of the panel hides every layer at once.
• Order: drag a layer to reorder it, or use the move up and move down actions. Layers higher in the list draw on top. The basemap (Background) always stays at the bottom.
• Opacity: each layer has an opacity slider from 0 to 100 percent.

Per-layer actions

Each layer exposes a set of actions:

• Zoom to layer: fit the map to the layer’s extent (for layers whose bounds are known).
• Identify features: click features on the map to see their attributes in a popup.
• Labels: toggle text labels for vector layers that have a label field.
• Metadata / Properties: inspect the layer’s source and configuration.
• Remove layer: delete the layer from the project.
• Insert before: control where a new layer is placed in the stack.

Refreshing live layers

WFS and GeoJSON URL layers can refresh automatically so the map stays current with a changing source. Open the layer’s refresh configuration and choose an interval (for example off, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or a custom value), or trigger a manual refresh.

Layers used in shared projects

If a layer exists only as a file on your computer, publish it through Catalog before sharing the project. MappView stores a stable layer reference in the project and checks each consumer’s access when the project opens; the original local path and your personal access token are not shared.

Published layers show a loading state until their map source has actually finished loading. A checked visibility control means the layer is intended to be visible; the loading indicator distinguishes that intent from data that is already on screen. If loading fails, open Diagnostics for the failed request rather than toggling the layer repeatedly. WMS layers do not show this indicator because they request new map images whenever the viewport changes.

Layer managers can correct a published layer’s declared coordinate system from its Overview page in Share. This updates the publication setting; it does not reproject the uploaded coordinates.

DuckDB layers

Layers added from a DuckDB source or produced by the SQL Workspace support identify, selection, and the attribute table like any vector layer. You can also materialize a DuckDB query result into an editable GeoJSON layer when you want to edit its geometry or attributes.

The basemap

The Background entry at the bottom of the panel is the basemap. Toggle its visibility and adjust its opacity here. To change which basemap is shown, use the Basemaps plugin from the Plugins menu. See Adding Data.

!!! tip “Editing geometry” To draw or edit features directly on the map, activate the GeoEditor plugin from the Plugins menu. It adds drawing, vertex editing, and deletion tools for GeoJSON layers.